Many changes have come to the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins and now known as the Washington Commanders.
Well, here’s one more thing. No one will ever wear Darrell Green’s #28 again.
In a heartwarming surprise video release, Green thought he was just recording a pre-draft message from his team to prospective draft picks, but managers surprised him by having him read an extra line at the end. Ta.
What was the line? It was announced that his jersey number would be permanently retired. If you want to skip the pre-draft content, Green’s moment is at his 1:12 mark.
To: 2024 Draft Class
Posted by: Greatest Person of All TimeWait for the surprise. Use it as inspiration. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/clxNFX256J
— Commander Washington (@Commanders) April 25, 2024
“I I humbly thank you,” green Said Via the team’s website. “I’m crying just remembering it now. This means a lot to me. . . . I would never have dreamed of anything like this. It was such a shock. It’s like it breathed life into me.” I’ve never been so surprised and shocked. I’m still light-headed, but I’m a million percent humbled.”
If you were to induct players into the Hall of Fame or retire players who were not only great but also “played the right way,” Darrell Green would be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in either case. Not only was he the most dominant corner of his era and the fastest man in the league for most of his career, he also never got in trouble, was never disrespectful, was never a showman, was never selfish. Always a great and loyal teammate and competitor rather than a player.
#28 Darrell Green of the Washington Redskins returns an interception against the Philadelphia Eagles during an NFL football game on December 8, 1985 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Green played for the Redskins from 1983 to 2002. (Focus on Sports/Getty Images)
He embodied the spirit of the great Redskins teams of the early ’80s and early ’90s.
Green won two Super Bowls and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2008. His number should have been retired a long time ago. Nevertheless, it is a credit to the new ownership group that they chose to pay homage to this legend of burgundy and gold before the first draft.
